Does cat food hurt dogs and does dog food hurt cats?

Maris

My husbands dad is staying over while his fiancee is out of town and he brought his cat with him. Well with his cat he brought cat food and my dog seemingly likes the cat food more than her dog food and the cat seems to like the dog food more than the cat food. I expect my husbands dad and the cat to be gone by monday. My dog will only eat the cat food right now and the cat goes either way. Will this hurt either one of them if its only for a short while? Thanks in advance for answers/opinions!



Mary

Short term it wont hurt anything. I would expect the dog to get the "runs". Cat food has taurine added to it by the manufactures. Taurine deficiency can cause dilated cardiomyopathy in cats. The cat needs cat food, unless the cat also has a regular diet of mice.



Beatriz

Cat food is actually both cheaper and more nutritious than dog food, generally speaking. Though dog food is of course specifically tailored to the needs of dogs, my family has raised several healthy dogs on cat food alone in my lifetime. I wouldnt worry about it one bit, it wont hurt them at all, especially if its only for a short while.



Gwendolyn

If bowel movements change then yes the switch in food is not doing them good Your dads cat is leaving so I suggest you try to keep your dog on his regular food Feed the cat, then feed the dog Dont put both foods down at the same time or feed them in separate rooms If your dog gets used to eating cat food it may be difficult to get him/her back to eating the dog food Or you could get a cat, but no I dont think a couple of days will hurt either of them Just check their poop



Brendon

The cat food is not good for dogs, because it is too high in protein for dogs. and i dont think dog food is good for cat either



Dora

Nah.. my cats forage the dog food bag from time to timeto make a habit out of it? yea that wouldnt really be recommanded. its all made of the same thing anyways.. dont worry about it